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Nocturne No 6 in D flat major, Op 63

Introduction

The Nocturne No 6 in D flat major, Op 63, was written after a break of ten years, during which time both Fauré's parents died and he wrote his famous Requiem. It remains one of his most popular pieces for piano and a masterpiece in the piano literature. When asked where he found the inspiration to write the ecstatic opening, he replied ‘in the Simplon Tunnel’. One could write many words about this piece. Perhaps it is best simply to listen. As Nectoux points out, five years later Schoenberg wrote his Verklärte Nacht, and found this same ‘road of stars’ that we hear in the middle section, marked Allegro moderato.

Recordings

'… the best performances of this music I have heard. Her interpretations combine freedom and control in performances that range from the most tender ...'Take, for instance, the Fourth Nocturne—in Stott's hands a suave miracle of purling pearliness, fraught with delicate hesitations and suppressed sigh ...» More

Angela Hewitt’s recordings of French piano music have received the highest critical acclaim, her ‘tenderness, Gallic wit, verve, and—the most important ingredient of all—charm’ proving perfect for this repertoire. This album includes the major wor ...» More

A master pianist demonstrates his manifold talents in this delicious selection of French music. Works by Poulenc, Fauré, Debussy and Ravel rub shoulders with lesser-known gems by their contemporaries.» More

Details

There follow four pieces that demonstrate the sheer breadth of Gabriel Fauré’s style. His nocturnes and barcarolles (thirteen of each) are arguably the pinnacles of his pianistic achievement and offer a snapshot of his long career. Strikingly, the sixth Nocturne and fifth Barcarolle were written simultaneously, in 1894. Temperamentally, they couldn’t be more contrasted. The Nocturne opens with a quiet majesty, the harmonies utterly characteristic. Like the greatest of Chopin’s nocturnes, we have no idea what’s in store, with Fauré introducing first a more animated second idea, its agitation emanating from the fervent syncopations, and then a light-filled central section, powered by iridescent arpeggios, which he then proceeds to combine with the other two ideas with almost nonchalant ease, before the music finally stills and fades into silence.

The Sixth Nocturne is one of Fauré’s most celebrated works and its sublime perfection is revered by all who know it. The longest of the series, it dates from about 1894, that is shortly after La Bonne Chanson with which it shares the same rapturous expression. The basic A–B–A form favoured by Fauré for the Nocturnes is here extended by an extra episode before the final return of the languorous and miraculously beautiful opening theme.